According to legend, five brothers
once lived on the island of Moen in Chuuk lagoon. Before their parents died,
their father called all the boys together and told his sons about a lost island
near Moen and said that some day they should search for it. Some years after the
father died, the five brothers decided to look for the island and for three days
they searched but could not find it. With the exception of the youngest brother,
the brothers felt the father's story was not true.

However, the youngest son believed
the father and set sail by himself in search of the island. After travelling a
short distance, he saw a huge white shark that was leading the canoe to the area
of the lost island. The boy thought that the shark must be the ghost of his dead
father. The shark disappeared once the canoe had reached a certain spot.

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The youngest son lowered his sails
and dropped anchor. He then dived deeply below the surface of the sea and found
the lost island. When he returned to the surface, he boarded his canoe but found
his anchor was stuck and he could not raise it. So finally, he cut the anchor
rope and sailed back to his home on Moen.

When he returned, he told the other
brothers what had happened and early next morning they sailed off to find the
island. When they arrived at the island, the oldest brother swam down and tied a
rope to the island. After returning to the boat, he pulled on a rope as hard as
he could but could not raise the island from the bottom. The second brother
tried, and then the third and the fourth, but the result was the same - the
island could not be raised from the ocean floor.

Finally, the youngest brother tugged
on the rope and the island amazingly came up to the surface. At that very
moment, a black bird flew overhead and called out to the brothers that the
island should be called Pisiiras and must remain forever the property of the
youngest son who had believed his father.

About a mile north of Moen sits a
small island all by itself. There, the descendants of the youngest brother still
live. The island is still called Pisiiras, the name of the clan of the brothers.

OWNERSHIP OF LAND ON CHUUK

The islands of Chuuk are relatively
small and are of volcanic origin. They also have one of the largest population
of any group of islands in Micronesia which makes ownership of land extremely
important.

Traditionally, there were six ways
that land could be acquired on Chuuk however only four of these are still in
existence. The first way is to acquire land by inheritance from one extended
family or one's parent. Land can also be purchased with money or goods, or it
might be acquired as a gift. In the past, land could be taken from a defeated
enemy or it might be discovered uninhabited.

The Chuukese value land as being
more important than any of their possessions. If a person does not have a piece
of land or two, then he is not considered to be a real Chuukese. A person who
has no land will be considered to be very poor and he may lose his identity and
self-respect. The Chuukese value land so much that fights can occur if there is
a dispute over its ownership, even between close relatives. The Chuukese firmly
believe that a man can only exist if he has land. Land is the source of food as
well as wealth to the Chuukese.

There are other advantages of land
ownership apart from food and wealth. All parts of native thatched roof houses
can be made from parts of trees that grow on one's land. Without the product of
the land, the Chuukese would not be able to build boats and make the equipment
necessary for fishing.

Land can be used to validate or
strengthen a marriage. A man who has a lot of land will also be able to marry
the most beautiful girl. Land is also given as a gift to someone who takes care
of a sick person or it can be used as a way of seeking forgiveness. For
instance, if the child of one family gets hurt by the child of another family,
land gifts might be used as a way of settling the matter.

More recently on Chuuk, land
provides a cash income for people who are employed. When his crop is harvested,
he will sell some of his crops for income after he has kept what is needed for
his family. In summary, land is of extreme value to the people of Chuuk because
it allows them to live and to survive.

TRADITIONAL MARRIAGE
PRACTICES IN CHUUK

Traditionally, before a man can
consider marriage, he needed to have experience in farming, fishing, and boat
construction. He also had to be able to build his own house. When he had these
skills he would inform his parents that he was ready for marriage. The parents
would then search for a suitable young woman to be his wife. When they had
decided on a girl, the parents of a man would visit the girl's parents. They
would introduce themselves at the purpose of their visit and discuss possible
marriage with the girl's parents. If a marriage is agreed upon, the young man
would stay with the girl's parents and the girl would reside with the young
man's parents up until the wedding day. Prior to the marriage, both families
would prepare a feast which would be attended by the leaders of their respective
families. According to custom, the girl's family would provide enough food for
the man's family and his family would do the same for the girl.

There are some possible attitudes on
marriage that have been retained from the past among the Chuukese people. While
both the man and woman will desire compatible sex partners in marriage, they
look even more for good workers. A person incapable of work is unlikely to be
successful at marriage in Chuuk. A person is well aware of the character and
abilities of those in the community and selects a partner accordingly.